Secrets of the Snow
by Miztical-Dragon
Summary: She grew up listening to fairy tales about demons and gods who controled the seasons, but she never believed that it was true. One snowy night Rin find herself interlocked in a life she never thought was possible.
1. Chapter 1

** Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, or anything else for that matter.. Okay, so I own some stuff, just not InuYasha... If I did it would probably suck! lol**

_ I've been thinking of this story for over two years now, I didn't think I'd ever start it, and yet here it is! lol My gratitude goes to my bottle of REDRUM and Rootbeer, Jennifer Lopez and yes I mean the singer, and all of today's stress that had me pulling out my hair and itching for a drink. I think I have a thing for prologues... _

_ See spelling and grammar mistakes? Yes, I probably would to if sobriety was on my 'to-do' list. _

** SECRETS OF THE SNOW**

** By Miztikal-Dragon**

** Prologue**

The evening dinner had been prepared earlier than normal for the small village in the middle of nowhere. The children that played and screamed underneath the bright rays of the warm sun were being tucked into their beds, soft kisses and sweet whispers of love sending them off to a dream world where anything and everything was possible and if it had been like any other night parents and other adults the like would have been turning in for the night not long after as well. Winter would be flowing in from the north in days, maybe weeks and a lot of hard work had been done to be sure that the small village would endure if the snow had been worse than the year before, the elders had been precautious this time.

Old and withered hands wrapped around a stick to stoke the burning fire, the slender digits aching with the tease of the cold breeze trying to retain some of the heat that seemed fleeting. The heat, like everything else she noticed, never stayed long enough and sighing heavily sighed allowing her aching joints to settle on her knees. It would be a miracle if she could get up without help later, but all the same it was alright because it wouldn't be much longer.

She had lived a long, and all though not perfect life, at the end of the day she didn't regret anything but one thing. That wasn't saying that she wasn't grateful for what she did have, because she wouldn't trade what life had given her for anything (okay maybe that one thing, but then again if wishes were horses…) in the world. The nights would grow colder and the village where she lived would rejoice and celebrate the first snow fall and the thought brought a soft smile to the wrinkled face.

They all knew the tales, all the old fairytales that passed on from mother to child, each tale a little different, but hers never altered. Then again, she had only ever told her story once; however hearing the tales from younger generations brought warmth and pain to her old heart. The winter seasons always came with the memories of the past and if she had been anyone else they would have been bitter memories and at first they had been, yet now they were a reminder of a time when innocence, her innocence had been something she cherished and it helped her grow into the woman she was now.

A soft knock brought her from old thoughts and she called out for entry and the attentive hazel eyes that greeted her brought a pang of love and hurt to her heart but it only made her smile wider. Long hair was twisted into a loose bun and though the color could fool one to thinking it was black she knew the true color of dark ash that glittered in the sunlight. Her daughter, she mentally sighed as the young woman reached out to hold her hand with a gentle touch. She was a beautiful creature, as beautiful as her father and another jolt of pain pinched her.

"How are you doing Mama?" Her daughter was bright and she thanked her child as a warm wool blanket was draped over her shoulders.

"I'm coping," She replied noticing the way her daughter's hand rubbed her stomach subconsciously. "It was a beautiful ceremony."

And she wasn't lying about that. It had become a tradition the village decided was necessary and every year for the last six years the memory of her late husband was celebrated and each year that passed he was remembered as the great man he had been. Old age had stolen many people over the years, most that she had grown up around and the few that held out waited for the day they would be welcomed into the warmth of death. However she hoped that death was not as warm as they claimed, she wished that it was as cold as a violent blizzard and just as dangerous.

"Yes, father would have been proud," her eldest child eyes glazed over as the past took over, albeit it was short lived as more knocks stole away the precious moment between mother and daughter.

Three more entered the small house, all tall and attractive men and the old woman smiled at their greetings. They too resembled their father, soft chins, messy ebony hair and deep warm chocolate colored eyes. Slowly she motioned for them to be seated and she silently waited until they were all settled around the fire, their curious eyes watching her waiting for her to begin. The air was thick with emotions, confusion, curiosity, grief and love and they tugged at her. But at the same time it helped clear her mind and gave her the strength to tell them what she needed them to know, the truth.

"I regret to inform you that my time here is about over and I will be departing soon," she spoke evenly and clearly allowing no emotion to come through her voice and she frowned as angry voices interrupted her.

"Mama," her youngest son exclaimed, his young eyes furious, the freckles dusting across the bridge of his nose disrupting the seriousness of his expression. "You're as healthy as a horse, you're not dying."

That made her laugh and her hand flew to her chest to quiet down her mirth. "No, my son I am not dying; however I must ask a favor from you all."

"Mama," her daughter whispered, her smooth hand touching her shoulder.

"Oh hush," the old woman snapped glaring at each of her children like she had when they were younger. "It has been six years since your father has left this world and my time has come. All people die and cross over, and I'm no different. I have a few things to tell you before I am taking from this realm and I expect no more interruptions. I may be old but I will not hesitate to put you all over my knee."

Nervous laughter was strangled by the seriousness of her tone and when she was certain that her children were paying attention she sighed heavily, her chest expanding and sinking with the breath. This would be hard for them to understand, she knew that from first hand experience, but all she asked was that they listened to her until she finished. They didn't have to believe her, only one or two had and that was okay, they'd believe her in the end and if they didn't, well then she guessed that she had raised fools after all.

She closed her eyes as a cold breeze brushed over her flesh like a lost lover, the chill bringing gooseflesh crawling over her skin and she nervously smoothed out the invisible wrinkles from her lap. Clearing her throat she opened her eyes and gazed intently into the burning fire in front of her and lost herself in the memories she refused to forget.

"It is true that your father, my beloved husband, rest his soul had been my first love," she spoke to them yet at the same to herself and the muscles in her shoulders and back relaxed. "But he was not my only love, there had been another during the years your father and I had been separated, before our marriage and it was one of the best and worst thing that had ever happened to me…"

E/N: that's all I got for now. I'm going to try and update as much as possible, but for now the Police Academy saga is calling my name and so is my bed since it's the warmest place in a house that doesn't have a heater or properly working furnace. And as ALWAYS, please review. It's all the warmth I need besides a heating pad! lol


	2. Chapter 2

** Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, or anything else for that matter.. Okay, so I own some stuff, just not InuYasha... If I did it would probably suck! lol**

_ Wow! This chapter was already partway done before I started the prologue, but it turned out darker than I had originally thought. I'm working on my holiday story still, and I'm hoping I might be able to push it out by the end of the weekend. _

_ Please ENJOY!_

_ HAPPY HOLIDAYS! _

_** Secrets of the Snow**_

Chapter One

Crisp white snow fell steadily in the quiet black darkness; the yellow light of the pale moon the only light in the inky night. Small clouds of hot breath floated into the night sky, it was cold out. Snow had been falling for hours now, the once tiny flakes clumping together and hiding the grass and soil below. Everything was hidden beneath the white death and nothing was able to hide from its freezing grasp.

Onyx hair fluttered in the soft breeze, the long tendrils moving freely, pushed by the invisible force of nature. It was more than just cold, the thin material around olive skin doing nothing to stop the trembling and shaking of limbs. Frostbite hadn't yet settled in, but fingertips were already numb, bare feet stinging to the point of tears. She hadn't always been so cold, hadn't always been trembling so horribly where she could barely stand without shooting pain flaring in her muscles.

The black smoke fading into the distance behind her was the only evidence that she was getting further away. It didn't matter which direction she was going, or the reason why she was leaving, but she needed to get away. She wouldn't have to worry about any followers because anyone who could or even would follow her was dead or missing.

They had come so fast and nobody even had a chance to fight back. Men, foreign men with long haggard beards, narrowed, dangerous eyes, and weapons that were unknown came on large horses and took what they wanted. At first only few lost their lives, resistance falling quick, and it wasn't long until these strange men had everything that the small town had to offer and left. Food in the newly acquired wagons, all of the cattle and thick hides of animals used to keep families warm through the long winters. The town was left for extinction.

Pneumonia was the first thing that hit the small town, the old and the young falling ill and their families struggling to help. However, nothing worked. Two-thirds of all who fell ill were buried a week later, the other one-third forced into a few makeshift hospitals as a terrible wave of something else hit. It was an illness worst than the pneumonia taking a strong hold and devouring what little was left.

By the time that word had gone out and help had come to the town's aid, it was too late. Rotting bodies of children and the old littered the dirt roads, unseeing yellow eyes staring up into the sky and once healthy skin turned blue by the harsh weather. There was nothing left to save, no one left alive and the few that had survived were once again left to die. The people who had come to help had become the bringers of death, burning the homes of the diseased; suffocating the ones who they believed didn't have a chance with pillows and other methods.

She understood of course, no one wanted this contagious disease to spread and they sought to contain it, but even the healthy had been added to the price of salvation. Part of her cursed the three people who had protected her village when everything began to break out, her saviors leaving before they could do any good, then again, the rest of her was silently glad they had gone.

_ 'Kohaku,' _the name on her lips was like a soft breeze during spring and it brought hot tears to her eyes as she trekked forward. The boy was the being of her dreams, his sincere and loving brown eyes, his dark brown hair and childish freckles that dusted lightly over his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. He was everything she had wanted and more when she had first arrived to the rather secluded village years before and until recently life had been perfect.

Kohaku's older sister, Sango and her partner, a traveling monk Miroku had begun the murmurings of a marriage a month before their departure and though she claimed otherwise, a marriage to the kind boy was what she could only dream about. Plans had been made, loose plans, but the thought of them kept her going, the sticky wetness slipping down her arms going almost unnoticed due to the weather. It was safe to say that she loved Kohaku, loved him like the family that had died around her like the night slipping into dawn and she desperately wanted to begin a family of her own.

She was getting older by the moment, her seventeenth birthday close on the horizon and though she wished for the family she had been denied she didn't think for one moment that she would make it through the night. She wanted to be at Kohaku's side, wanted to feel the warmth of his hugs and his shy and chaste kisses and see his carefree smile just one more time if she could. It was childish and fruitless to think about thoughts like that while she traveled randomly in the snow and the night, hell she was lucky if she wasn't going around in circles, but it was either think about the impossible or give up and die.

The truth was she wasn't ready to die yet, not when she still had so much more to do, so much to experience and who cared if she lost a toe or all of them--if she could find shelter she could build a fire and she would be okay until morning. None of the living inhabitants of the village she resided in knew she had snuck out during the confusion, during the blood bath and if she had been noticed no one had cared enough to follow her. She wasn't important enough to warrant attention and she mentally laughed at their arrogance since she was now away from all the bloodshed.

Their life or death mattered, she was positive it mattered to Kohaku, Sango, and Miroku; however, she was selfish and didn't give a lick about anyone besides Kohaku. He was all that mattered, all that she could even think to worry about and though the callousness in her heart would have normally shamed her all she could feel was relief. She couldn't forgive herself is she couldn't find the strength to live long enough to find Kohaku and make him truly happy and if it only cost her was her sense of right and wrong for now then it was a sacrifice she was willing to make for the sake of love. It was better them than her.

The sounds of something charging was alien against the howl of the snow falling and the night air and she wanted to turn and see if it was all in her head, but she knew she didn't have the time nor the strength for it. Instead she quickened her pace hoping she could reach the trees to hide in until her mind was clear enough to focus on reality. A twig snapped a few feet in front of her and her wide eyes searched for it behind the swirling white blanket. She could have sworn she saw glowing gems of red staring back at her and she bit back a shiver of warmth and something else she couldn't pin point.

Her feet felt like they weighed a ton and no matter how fast she tried to make herself go, it wasn't fast enough. The snow was falling to quickly with too much icy whiteness and she stumbled loosing her footing and instead of feeling the wetness of the thick snow she felt a stabbing pain in her right shoulder. Her body convulsed with pain as something tore through her flesh, her muscles jerking and screaming at her in ways she had never felt. She could feel her blood pounding in her ears and she felt hot wetness where the pain was rushing down her form and even though she didn't want to look, her head moved and her eyes glanced down.

A bloodied arrow stuck out from her chest, the extremely sharp tip laughing at her and hesitantly her fingers touched it, an electric jolt of pain racing through her entire body. She could hear the hoots and the hollering of men somewhere behind her and she wanted to scream in agony and defeat. She wasn't lucky enough to have left unnoticed, they had seen her and hunted her like the predators they were--they had toyed with her and now they had decided the game was over and it was time for her to forfeit her life.

"Kohaku," her voice trembled as she carefully touched the tip of the arrow protruding from her body again, her fingers trembling from the cold and the shock.

Those men would do unspeakable things to her when they finally decided to round her up and she could feel the hysteria bubbling up in her chest and escaping her mouth instead of sobs. She was utterly defenseless and there was no escape from the knowledge that she was going to die before the morning, no ifs ands or buts, and she couldn't even think about begging, couldn't even manage it if she tried. At least she would die with her pride, maybe not her dignity, but that was okay.

The tears were rolling down her cheeks as she gazed at the trees in front of her, merely yards away and the laughter she couldn't keep down grew louder, those red eyes glaring at her. It was either die by the hands of man or nature, that she was positive about now and though she would have preferred to leave the world was in by nature's hands, it was man who was striking her down. Her blood was flowing out of her body and tainting the white snow red, pink and black, the sporadic droplets as promising as rainfall and it had hypnotized her for a moment; however the movement in front of her caught her hypersensitive ears and when she looked up she thought she could see death coming for her and it was a beautiful sight.

A snow storm came out of nowhere, thick walls of it swirling violently and those large red eyes floated like a ghost inside the storm. She could see the outline of an enormous creature, probably some wolf, a beautiful white wolf and she blinked trying to clear her blurring vision. It was as if everything had slowed down to a snail's pace, her vision going from white to black and back again and the image of the wolf vanished only to be replaced by a lithe and tall being.

Silver hair was straight and still despite the wind, white robes fluttering like the finest silk or the rippling of water and she found her throat dry and closing up on her. It was a slightly feminine face, elegant and pale and for a fraction of a heart beat she wondered if death had been a beautiful woman. No woman could be that femininely gorgeous and yet ooze death and masculinity from broad shoulders and precise and cold amber eyes. Her mind was muddled as he drew closer to her, her bringer of death and she tried to climb to her feet to meet him if her legs hadn't refused to respond. The cold was taking its toll, she was frozen in place, trembling, her body humming and if her heart had been beating any faster it would have burst from her chest.

"Please--" she whispered to the being in front of her, her now bloodied hand reaching out to the silver hair man in front of her, desperately trying to find and end before the real pain could set it.

Those emotionless amber eyes stared at her, analyzing everything they possibly could about her and she had the sudden feeling that he would walk on by her as if she had been the scum beneath his feet, a disgusting piece of filth that would dirty him and she would have understood. She was bleeding to death in the snow, tainting the crisp white beauty and if he shunned her then she would take death into her own hands. After all, she now had a weapon and though not a very good one, all it took was enough strength to ram the sharp tip into her throat and silence would be peaceful.

Something flickered in his cold eyes and the sword sitting on his hip make an eerie sound as he withdrew it from its scabbard. A relieved sigh escaped her throat as his fingers clenched the well made metal and her eyes closed as strong and long fingers wrapped around her outstretch hand. The touch send chills through her spine, a feeling she had defined as Kohaku's touch and she immediately felt warmth engulf her. This was the end finally and honestly it felt better than she could have ever imagined.

"Thank you,"

E/N: Sorry that this story is starting so short. I'm only guest-imating about 5 chapters, not including the ending (which is surprisingly already written, even before this chapter). Oddly, the inspiration for writing this chapter was given to me by a few of songs sung by Lady Gaga... When I hear poker face I think Sesshomaru! lol

I also didn't like the way Rin's personality is in this story, it's not like I normally write her, but it's different and I'm all about different right now.


	3. Chapter 3

** Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, or anything else for that matter.. Okay, so I own some stuff, just not InuYasha... If I did it would probably suck! lol**

_ I wrote this pretty much at work and during any free time I could accost here. This was surprisingly easy to write, but the picture in my head made me want to cry. The song that helped this was "Snow White Queen" by Evanescence and if you listen to the song maybe you'll understand lol_

_**Secrets of the Snow**_

_ By Miztikal-Dragon_

** Chapter Two**

It seemed to feel like death was an eternity spent entirely in darkness, noiseless, empty and completely nonexistent. She had felt this way when she was younger and was caught in between being asleep and waking. The only exception was that she was neither hot or cold, she couldn't feel anything around her, just only the black emptiness to occupy her mind. Her thoughts weren't silent however, they raced over the pain she had felt, the horror, and relief when her silver hair stranger acquiesced to her final request, to end her suffering.

There was a dulled ache in her chest, a throb that waxed and waned fighting the emptiness around her and calling out to her. Was she really dead? She hadn't felt released now that she thought about it and if she had truly died, would there be the pain in her heart? Shouldn't it have dissipated with her last breath? Panic took over her and she trembled, if she wasn't dead then what had happened to her when she lost consciousness? Did her savior leave her to the bandits or did he take her back to his layer to eat her flesh? It had been snowing the last she remembered so why couldn't she feel the bite of the harsh cold or the warmth of animal skins keeping her warm? Why did she feel so void of everything?

"Breathe,"

The cold voice shocked her system and sharp needles of chilly cold air fought its way into her chest and instead of stealing her breath away, it gave her life. At first she choked on it, her eyes snapping open as she clutched her throat and turning her vision away from the blinding light above her. Tears clouded her vision as the tremors took over her body, every muscle twitching and screaming with protest. Nothing was obeying her command; in fact, her body was unwilling to do anything she ordered and though there was no pain, she couldn't help but fear that she was dying. Then, as suddenly as the tremors had started, she was engulfed with a burning heat starting at her hip and spreading like wildfire over her. A large hand slid up her side, the warmth slipping out from the pads of the large fingers and in their wake, the tremors wracking her small body ceased immediately.

She new that it was an inappropriate touch, one that left her cheeks feeling hot and her body flushed and she gasped desperately trying to take in more cold air than her lungs would allow. The touch was doing things to her that she didn't understand, alien things she had only heard whispers about between husband and wife and though she felt she should struggle against it and feel offended and horrified, it wasn't as easy as she thought it should be. Her body arched under the electric touch, her heart hammering in her ribcage and the beating organ skipped a beat as a pair of icy lips pressed against her collarbone. A hushed gasp ripped from her throat as sharp teeth nipped at her skin, her fingers clutching the fabric of her seducer's clothing and digging into the strong shoulders. She couldn't think, could barely breathe and she was melting with every passing second.

"S-Sesshomaru?" The squawking voice shook away all the feeling swirling around her and her eyes snapped open as teeth sank into her shoulder.

The eyes that greeted her when the teeth released her were red--red like the blood droplets on his lip and the squawking voice called out again, more shrilly than before hurting her ears as she tried to ignore the sound. Every muscle in the creature's body above her stiffened, the clawed hand on her hip twitching madly against her.

"Jaken," the creature above her blinked and the once red eyes were clear amber.

The hands on her disappeared as well as any warmth she had been encased in and the emptiness replaced it like it had never left her. This creature, this Sesshomaru stood tall, his silver hair perfectly straight as if he just hadn't done anything besides stand there and breathe. His amber eyes narrowed slightly as he licked the blood from his lip, giving off the impression that the taste was disgusting.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" The voice wailed breaking the silence and a flash of green and brown caught the corner of her vision. "I've finally found you!"

The small obnoxious green creature launched itself onto Sesshomaru, it's stubby short arms wrapping around the white cloth of Sesshomaru's pants, the creature crying it's laments and howling like a dying toad and in the blink of an eye it was being thrown into the surrounding snow and stepped on. Sesshomaru's large boot came down on the green beast, it's overly large eyes bugging out as more squawks of pain were cried out.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru spoke coldly, his boot kicking the creature for good measure. "See to our guest."

He didn't wait for his order to be acknowledged, didn't even wait for another word to be spoken to turn his back and walk away into the swirling snow. It reminded her of the cold hearted bandits which rampaged on the village where she lived. Sesshomaru wasn't a kind creature, his actions were evidence enough, but then why was she still alive? There had to have been a reason to it, because it wouldn't make sense and she did not like being confused like this, not when her life was stuck somewhere in the balance.

"Come girl," the short toad creature, Jaken sighed heavily, his large eyes slanted as he glared at her. "Lord Sesshomaru does not repeat himself. You best be grateful that my lord took pity on you or else you'd be dead."

"My name's Rin," pity was it? Well she could accept pity, even if it hurt her pride just a smidge. She was used to being given pity, yet the very thought of it coming from Sesshomaru wasn't easy to swallow.

Jaken waited for Rin to climb to her feet, his eyes never wandering back behind himself to make sure she was following him. He himself could not explain his master's actions, not when so much hung in the balance--when Sesshomaru had so much to lose because of this small slip of a girl. The snow fell silently over Rin, the white crystal's fluttering down and catching in her tangled hair like a lace curtain. It made her wonder if she spent too much time out in the snow would it steal the ebony color of her hair and leave it like Sesshomaru's.

"Where are we going?" Rin asked hesitantly, the two of them were surrounded by snow covered everything--the tree's, the air around them and even themselves, and though she knew that questions weren't always the best things to ask, she wanted to be aware of her demise if they were leading her to be some sacrifice.

"Lord Sesshomaru's temple," Jaken spat, his body sunk into the snow, his arms struggling to wade through it. "He can't have you walking around covered in dirt and blood, it's unbecoming of a snow sprite, and though I would have let you die human, my lord has given you a precious gift."

"A snow sprite?" She gasped horrified, not bothering to look down at her clothing. She already knew the state of the material so there was no need to keep her last memories fresh. "H-how is that possible, I'm human? No one is powerful enough to turn a human into a sprite--is Sesshomaru the Snow God?"

The small toad turned on her, his eyes set a blaze, his grubby hand digging into his pocket and emerging with a long wood staff. The two carved heads caught her off guard more so than the creature in front of her until the staff was swung at her first hitting the soft flesh of her side and then her ankles sending her crashing to the ground in a heap. Jaken looked like a vicious demon, albeit a tiny, viscous demon, but one not to be trifled with and all she could do was stare unblinking at him.

"It is Lord Sesshomaru to you sprite!" He yelled waving his staff in her direction like he was winding up to strike her again. "He is more powerful than any Snow God, he is the single most powerful demon in the entire universe and the only reason he even bothers with the snow is because he was cursed by Mother Nature herself for not acquiescing to her disgusting orders."

"Mother Nature?" She bit down on her lower lip trying to bite back the curiosity, but Jaken seemed to be on a rant and who was she to try and stop him.

"Yes, the creator of all that you see before you," the green toad's mood calmed and though he appeared upset it was like he was stuck in a not so fond memory. "She approached my lord hundreds of years ago wanting him for her female purposes, but Lord Sesshomaru takes orders from no woman, no matter what the class of being. She was angry at his refusal and as punishment she cursed him to be the bringer of snow. He can't escape it and my lord is more noble than any creature I have served."

"Wow," it was the only reply she could offer as the white haze swirled around them, a shadow appearing and once everything settled she sat staring in front of a large stone temple that hadn't been in front of her before.

"Of course the stupid woman did not get off unscathed," Jaken continued waiting for Rin to get to her feet and she did so quickly. "Lord Sesshomaru is not one to go down without a fight and as that witch cursed him, he struck her down. His poisonous claws dug into her face and stole away the beauty that had been there. What I would have given to be there to see my lord in action, I bet it was marvelous."

"So are you a sprite too?" She asked as her feet touched the steps that led her up to the temple, the simplicity of it was breathtaking and she smiled softly as she felt something calling to her, whispering her name in the wind.

"No, I am merely a demon servant," if Rin wasn't so caught up in the whispers she would have sworn that Jaken was jealous of her, but what there was to be jealous of she wasn't sure. "Lord Sesshomaru was only allowed one sprite and that gift he has bestowed on you and no one else."

The whispers grew louder and Jaken's faded into the back of her mind. She felt at peace, the heat and icy coldness swirling around her, touching every inch of her and almost examining her with unseen eyes and hands. She was safe within herself, safe within the whirlwind of what she thought to be magic and her companion's story was entirely plausible. Rin wouldn't dare call Jaken a liar, not after what she had witnessed, what she had been through and if it was a vengeful woman spurred by rejection that had led Rin to where she was now then she was thankful that Sesshomaru refused.

'You can go anywhere the snow touches,' a soft feminine voice lulled her into a trance and Rin nodded to the words. 'Anywhere the snow touches and only where it is if life is where you long to stay.'

There was more the feminine voice wanted to say, she could tell by the way the air left off before the roar of an enormous beast filled the temple and her thoughts. She recognized the sound and her heart leapt into her throat, the whispers vanishing like a cloud around her. Her feet stole her from the temple, the wind racing through her now silky straight hair and she raced desperately trying to catch up to the echoing roars ringing in her ears. She was close to him, so close that she could almost feel the warmth of his embrace and it only spurred her faster through the trees.

Jaken's voice rang out behind her, fading as the distance between them grew; however, nothing would stop her now, not even Sesshomaru--she couldn't stop no matter what. The trees around her thinned out and a shadow fell over her and lifting her eyes to the sky she saw golden fur and bright orange fire flying above her.

"Kohaku!" She called out, her voice loud and desperate and she continued forward.

Never in her wildest dreams could she ever imagine that it would be this easy to find Kohaku, to get back her happiness and the giddy feeling in her stomach exploded as she sped on top of the fallen snow. She called for Kohaku again, straining her voice as loud as she possibly could and it paid off as his voice rang back with her name. Hysterical laughter bubbled up into her throat when the trees finally cleared and merely yards away stood the boy she loved.

"KOHAKU!" she cried out as she pushed herself harder, her arms reaching out to him and grabbing onto him as soon as he was close enough to her.

A sob escaped her throat, the tears sliding down her cheeks as she crushed him against her, his warmth stinging her, yet filling her to the brim at the same time. Kohaku's brown hair had grown longer, his deep eyes filled with so much emotion she could barely contain herself as she pressed her lips to his in relief and more desperation than she knew she had hiding inside of her. It was as though she was waking up from a horrible dream and finally reality would take place. Her and Kohaku would get married, have a mess of children and she would be happy, letting everything else before the current moment fade from her memory, never to reappear.

Kohaku's warmth was fleeting and all Rin knew was that she needed more, desired more of the boy in front of her and as caught up in the moment as she was she didn't register another calling out her beloved's name in horror until something smashed into her. Whatever it was, it tore her away from Kohaku's arms, pushed her feet away from him and filled her with a burning flame of pain.

"Demon!" A familiar male voice shouted angrily and the pain spiked in her body making her scream. "Let your true form be shown!"

Rin forced her eyes open to catch a glimpse of her attacker; however all she could see was Kohaku standing like a statue in front of her, his eyes glassy and lost, his knees down covered in thick ice sickles. What was happening? Her mind was fuzzy and she gasped as something hot struck her shoulder, ripping open the flesh and splattering her in her thick red blood. Another scream errupted from her throat, her nails digging into the snow as she forced herself to her feet, her hand desperately reaching for Kohaku.

"Kohaku," she sobbed as another wave of pain hit her and she collapsed mid step, her entire body crumbling under the pressure crushing her.

The warmth of a frozen wind caressed her and instead of the clear sky, silver and amber filled her vision, Sesshomaru was there. His eyes were cold and clouded, his clawed hands rough as he tore a scrap of paper from her shoulder, her blood staining him before it oddly faded to white and flaked off of him and onto the ground. Another sob escaped her throat as Sesshomaru gently pulled her into his arms, her entire body numb and she felt herself slipping.

"P-Please Sesshomaru," she whispered willing her hand to point in Kohaku's direction, yet the appendage flopped and hung limply, swaying as he stood. "Kohaku--"

Blue met amber and though the tears would not stop falling she prayed that Sesshomaru would save Kohaku from whatever she'd done to him…

E/N: THANK YOU to everyone's who has review, favorited, and alerted this story. It makes me giggle. Hope I can post more soon!


	4. Chapter 4

** Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, or anything else for that matter.. Okay, so I own some stuff, just not InuYasha... If I did it would probably suck! lol**

_ I didn't imagine this chapter would get completed so quickly, but it did! YAYZ I can only hope that the next chapter comes to me as quickly._

_**Secrets of the Snow**_

_ By Miztikal-Dragon_

**Chapter Three**

For the first time in his life, Sesshomaru felt at a loss of what to do. There were many things that he ignored and now they needed his consideration, that needed a proper explanation for his actions. Sighing silently, he glanced down at the creature laying in his arms, or well arm. It had been safe to say that he'd expected some kind of trouble in the beginning with her; after all, she was human and he knew from experience that this kind of adjustment was never easy. Yet, as ironic as it was, the human nearly signed herself a death warrant within days of her "transformation".

There were a lot of things even Sesshomaru himself wasn't perfectly clear on, the witch that cursed him didn't give him an instruction manual or any clue as to what was needed, he just sort of "winged-it" and he was still learning the ropes even after the countless decades he spent in his prison.

First there was the obvious, contact with a human by Rin would be disastrous for her. The young boy almost had his entire soul sucked from his body by Rin's innocent kiss and though it left a sickening feeling in his stomach, it wasn't the worst by far. Rin wasn't a naturally occurring snow sprite, she had been human and the monk's sutras had done more damage to her body than the arrow from the bandits. Sesshomaru had felt the shock of holy powers followed by Rin's blood curdling scream, a tight pinching pain in his side and his entire body exploded, tearing him from his human form and forcing him into his true state of being.

In that instant Sesshomaru knew fear, felt it coursing through his veins and his enormous paws pushed him into the air, his keen nose honing in on Rin and leading him to her. The monk was killing her, ripping the flesh from her body and any protection Sesshomaru had given her and if he hadn't arrived when he did, the frail girl would have become a part of the snow.

He came with a whirlwind of snow, hiding him in his human form as he swooped down to the scene below, his heart hammering in his chest as his claws tried prying away the sutra stealing Rin from him. His claws dug into her flesh, bright red blood pouring more freely from the rectangular wound; desperation, another emotion he was unfamiliar with, filling him until the sutra came loose and clung to him instead.

If he was a lesser demon, even without a curse laying over him, the sutra he wrangled from Rin would have been his end no questions asked. The slip of parchment burned the tips of his fingers, slicing open the skin down to his knuckles and if he had tried merely ripping it off her he would have easily broken a few of his fingers and killed Rin.

This slip of a woman, this child was inadvertently making Sesshomaru take responsibility for this life he was thrown into and keep her alive. There wasn't anything telling him whether or not there would be dire consequences if she managed to die due to his negligence, but from the feeling in his fingertips he knew it would not be something he wanted to experience. It might not have had anything to do with her being under his protection so to say, there was a thought that it was purely instinctual, that maybe, just maybe he didn't want her to leave him.

The thought that he personally wanted her dragged his mind back, not far, but enough to where he recalled the feeling of her skin against his fingers, against his lips as they tasted her and how it made him shudder and want more. The idea of desiring someone, let alone a human child left a bad taste in his mouth. He wasn't weak, he wasn't a slave to his emotions (the few that he cared to spare), so why was this girl affecting him like this?

The reason couldn't be because he was lonely, demons like him were never lonely, it was beneath them. It wasn't longing--that was something Sesshomaru knew for a fact he didn't feel. He didn't long to be or have anything he didn't already have. Okay, he did want to be free from the snow, but he doubted it was possible unless he found the witch and killed her and even that was a stretch as she had no scent, no aura. These happenings were all inconvenient to him and he didn't like it, not the slightest bit.

As bad as it was, Sesshomaru knew where he could find answers; he didn't like the idea of where he needed to go, not when it came to tracking down another victim like him and especially not when said person was also human. For argument's sake and recent events taken into consideration, Sesshomaru knew there was no point in beating around the bush, he would have to go and consort with the lesser beings than himself.

Climbing smoothly to his feet, Sesshomaru spared a glance down at Rin. He had to encase her entire body in thick ice, her form appearing distorted and broken from the outside. She wasn't wedged inside the ice coffin, but merely protected within it, small dips keeping her body in place as raw power and snow swirled inside like a miniature blizzard. Bright red blood which escaped from Rin's still form sluggishly seeping from her like water.

Her blood mixed with the snow, tainting it pink as it swirled and he watched with an emotion akin to awe as it slowly faded back to crisp white, yet no matter what he knew that his attempt would not keep her alive for long. The only part he didn't like about this wasn't that he was going to see the other huma, it was hunting down the temple in which they were forced to stay.

Even with his sense of smell it was difficult to track down the other temple, his irritation showing through the cloud of white gathering behind him ominously. The intensity of lush green grass and forest foliage surprised him, albeit even if it was only the small parameter around the smaller temple. He figured no regular human or demon could see it, nevertheless it was still a strange sight and he had seen some strange things in his time.

If he had had an opinion to what he was requested to admit about the human was that unlike the others, she didn't keep him waiting. Long black hair fluttered and a pair of brown eyes watched him approach, surprise and curiosity staring at him almost ridiculously. She was the keeper of Spring, the human girl "mother nature" decided needed to be added to her collection. At one point or another Sesshomaru was given her name, it wasn't hard to remember, though he cared not what it was at the moment. The trapped soul would not keep him waiting, would not play games and it was why he came to her instead of the others--those two needed a quick death in his mind.

"Sesshomaru," her voice called to him and the light dress she wore danced around her. "It's been a long time."

"Spring," he called her by her appointed season in lieu of the name he couldn't remember and her smile softened at his icy response.

"Come inside," she eyed him curiously again, her small hands gesturing inside the temple and for once it was not his pride or his arrogance that kept him from moving forward.

"You have knowledge I seek," he told her coldly not bothering to drag anything out as he brought out the ice coffin, his amber eyes daring her to make a comment they both knew she would not utter.

The woman's brown eyes widened in surprise, her fingers touching her parted lips covering the shock coursing through her. Her bare feet slipped down the small steps of the temple carrying her closer to Sesshomaru. He would not be able to enter the temple with the snow sprite and upon closer inspection she saw the human girl trapped inside. It was true then, what the mother had told her the night the winds changed courses, winter had found its heart.

"Oh my," she whispered touching the ice, feeling a wave of chills run down her spine. "Is she really alive in there?"

"Yes," Sesshomaru tightened his hold on the ice coffin not liking the surprise that flashed on the woman in front of him. Surprise would be a toss up between good news and bad news and for the woman's sake and his it better have meant the latter.

"I can fix this I think," she told him meeting his gaze, her teeth worrying down on her lip. "I might need help though."

"Do as you will Spring," he told her still refusing to loosen his hold. "But you will not let her die."

"It's Kagome," she smiled trying to hide the nervousness swarming in her chest. "And I'll do my best."

E/N: And because I can it ends there! lol I bet you can guess who the other two are... I crack myself up. Snow White Queen by Evanescence is apparently the new mascot for this story, as well as "Break" by Three Days Grace and "I Get Off" by Halestorm. lol Those songs are the reasoning behind the quick updates... Go me! lol Please Review!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **_Nope, don't own anything, don't make money off of this. I might have gone crazy, but at least I know that this disclaimer is true..._** sigh**

Chapter Four

Spring had followed his orders without batting an eyelash, her raven hair flowing around her as she called for Fall, a small fox-like demon masquerading around as a child. Sesshomaru hadn't been able to stand listening to Fall's endless chatter, it was literally never-ending. Sesshomaru had blocked the annoying chatter from his mind, losing himself to the elements as he watched over his charge, her motionless body filling his stomach with unease.

It had him wondering if the woman he had saved had truly been human. There had to be another explanation as no human had affected him as much as she had without even lifting a finger. He didn't like the feeling, the helplessness that circled around him as he stared unblinking as the two in front of him worked. If he listened carefully (when he wasn't struggling to ignore it), it would have been obvious that the fox-child's chatter wasn't all random words, the same words slipping from Spring, but softer and more coaxing and Sesshomaru could feel his heartbeat speeding up. What were they doing to her?

As it turns out, neither of them had answers for him in the end. His charge would live, well at least as a snow sprite, but it would cost him. The price wasn't something that was negotiable, there was no bargaining and once again his charge was encased in the heavy ice coffin and tucked away into the dark recesses of his temple. If he had been unchanged by her sudden appearance, losing her would not have been so bad, in fact, it would have been preferred and she would have been forgotten in time. However, he had never believed in luck and it wasn't going to start believing in him it seemed either.

How many winters had come and gone since then, he had thought to himself? How many blizzards had he swept across the fields and villages that he could have sworn he saw her outline watching him almost sullenly? Truth be told, it felt like too many and he questioned his sanity as the winds picked up, littering the ground below him in white. They hadn't given him any information how long it would take to heal his ward and release her from her icy prison. He had no clue if she would ever walk through the snow, if he would learn whether or not he regretted extending her existence and it picked at him slowly, almost subtly until she became all he could think about.

Spreading winter was easier than breathing to him now, his long fingertips casting everything he touched into snow and frost and he caught himself halfway through a sigh as he watched the encroaching greenery. Spring was wanting to come earlier, earlier than what was tolerable and he pushed out the power pulsing in his chest, the clouds above him turning darker gray as a storm began to brew. Sesshomaru wasn't positive he could spend another winter deep in thought, harassed by the silence he once welcomed.

Jaken had left on his own, as the imp normally did every few years. He was probably trying to find a way out of Sesshomaru's 'punishment'; however that was a waste of time. The witch that had bound him to winter would only show herself when she felt necessary, she was a powerful and not to mention, vindictive creature. If she did not want to be bothered, no one would be able to find her, Sesshomaru included.

Despite what he wanted to admit (to either himself of any living creature), the witch who stole his life had shown him that he was not as emotionless as he once believe. He was calm, collective and more of a solitary creature, but the emotions he had claimed to not have felt were, but had been drowned out by his cool logic. They were amplified now that he was completely alone and curious about a human creature, a woman, that had no place in his life, but was there.

More often as of late, Sesshomaru had found his feet caring him towards the outskirts of the village that was a few miles from his appointed temple. Tall grass floated around during the spring and summer, but winter had left everything under a blanket of white. He could see the smoke leaving the small huts, hear the children laughing and screaming from a distance and even once or twice the glowing red eyes of a female cat demon. The guardian of the village. He already knew that most of the population of the rather small village were hunters, better known to him as demon exterminators and though he knew they would never be able to take him (even in their wildest dreams) he knew that they were trouble.

The village had its own monk, the younger human male being the creature who almost had stolen his ward from him. They were dangerous to her, he reminded himself, fatal to her health if she tried engaging them again and he pushed down the growl rising in the back of his throat. Turning his back to the village, he slowly headed back towards his temple, snowflakes flying around him, but not disturbing the perfectly straight silver hair he had. He didn't want the reminder hanging on the back of his mind, not when he ached for things to go back to the way they had been before she came along. Sesshomaru hardly recognized himself anymore, this was almost insane!

The faint smell of the cat demon tickled his nose and he brushed it aside as he slowly trekked forward, the wind and white snowflakes picking up in earnest behind him. His emotions made the winter icier, crueler and though that alone had its own appeal, the thought was not a comforting one. It would undoubtedly grow colder, the weather more violent as his thoughts progressed; however it was at nightfall when it would rear its ugly head. Nightfall always had that kind of effect on him.

The foul stench of human male grew steadily as Sesshomaru inched closer to his temple, his prison as well as the smell of demon and his eyebrows scrunched together as he frowned, the clouds slowly creeping together at mid-day. A human wouldn't be able to see his prison, that he had been positive of, but then again, he wondered if he was wrong. No one had ever said it was visible, though it went without saying that previous wandering humans had not been able to get a couple of yards near the stone prison.

That alone piqued his interest, the muted sound of his heels slapping against the stone steps making his ears itch. He was as quiet as the dead as he made his way through the entrance, an alien oil candle creating a shadowed light in the expansive stone building. There was no waiting for his eyes to adjust to the lack of light-he did not lose that when he had crossed paths with the witch, it only made him find the intruder faster.

Sesshomaru had seen the boy before, he had been the one who his ward had attempted to beg for, the one she had almost killed and he felt his blood begin to simmer. There was no explanation to why he was inside Sesshomaru's temple; although that hardly mattered at the moment. He was focused, his hand clutching a minature scythe, the long chain pooling on the floor on top of a large puddle of water and several large ice chunks.

Water? Sesshomaru was taken by surprise as the boy hacked away at his ward's ice coffin, her pale hand already unsheathed and dangling lifelessly surrounded by ice. There wasn't much left covering her, he realized slowly and the last of it fell to the floor with a soft clunking sound. It almost startled Sesshomaru, horrifying him to a point, that a mere human could break something he had made with his borrowed powers.

"Rin," the boy's voice called softly, a sound akin to a desperate sob. "Wake up Rin, oh god please wake up."

Rin? It was a delicate sounding name and Sesshomaru decided it fitted the small girl being pulled into the human's arms, her head lolling to the side as she was pulled from the crumbling, melting ice. What was that fool thinking? Sesshomaru wondered and yet he couldn't find the strength to make his appearance known, he could only stare.

"Rin, please," the boy called again more than desperate now, his hands shaking her as her name fell from his lips in a continuant chant.

The boy was already beginning to tremble, Rin's cold body as cold as an ice cube, silently leeching the warmth from his human body. She wasn't human anymore and the boy would only get himself killed if he continued, the poor fool. Sesshomaru no longer felt the need to be silent, the wind howling angrily behind him, screaming the emotions that he had yet to learn to show directly.

"Release her human," Sesshomaru spat venomously as he cut off any possible route of escape, his silver hair blowing slightly, but only because it allowed it to.

"Demon," it was a whisper, but an angry one and Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at the subtle challenge.

"I will not repeat myself human," he continued ignoring the challenge. It was pointless, Sesshomaru was not the type torture a lesser creature, not when his ward had an affliction towards the boy, human feelings he told himself. "She is no longer human."

"She has a name!" The boy took a step back, his eyes darting around searching for any hope, but not backing down. "It's Rin, and she is human!"

"Rin," Sesshomaru instantly liked the way her name rolled off his lips and the boy in front of him stiffened as the temple pulsed around them.

It was the soft intake of air that alerted Sesshomaru that his ward had been released from her slumber, her long lashes fluttering almost sleepily before opening and spotting him. She seemed as if she was in a daze as she stared at Sesshomaru, the twin orbs widening and her mouth opening in a silent whisper.

"Sesshomaru," it had never occurred to him how it pleased him hearing her say his name, but it did.

E/N: Because I feel evil, I'm leaving it there! I was suffering a bad case of writer's block, but after waxing my truck I found it alot easier to come back to this story and finish what I wanted. Yayz! Thanks to all my reviewers, story alerters and favoriters. I appreciate you. Hope that I'll get the next chapter done soon.


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